Medical cannabis is a wonderful healing tool.
However, the plant should be considered just that – a tool and not a cure-all.
While the herb can be very effective for a variety of ailments, it’s still just one part of something much larger you can do for your overall health: a balanced diet.
It’s a great question: how are your nutrition levels these days?
The food you eat could be making any underlying health conditions worse – or better, depending on what it is you’re eating.
In other words, for anybody seeking relief or improved quality of life through medical cannabis, nutrition must absolutely be a part of the equation.
Here are four ways to use nutrition to get the most out of your medical cannabis:
1. Eat anti-inflammatory foods
As many cannabis fans already know, the herb is filled with potent antioxidants.
In fact, a patent held by the U.S. government suggests that the antioxidants found in cannabis are stronger than vitamins C and E.
This is important since leading theories suggest that inflammation is stemmed from oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress is essentially an imbalance in your body that can lead to all sorts of unwanted health issues, including:
- cancer
- heart disease
- hypertension
- diabetes
- inflammatory conditions
- and more
As it turns out, one of the biggest causes of oxidative stress in the body is a diet high in processed foods.
“What the standard American diet does is it potentiates a very, very high level of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress at a high level is not our friend,” says registered dietitian Laura Lagano of the Holistic Cannabis Academy.
While cannabis compounds can fight oxidative stress as antioxidants, medical cannabis can work far better if it is combined with an anti-inflammatory diet.
Lagono explains:
“That anti-inflammatory food plan is full, full of vegetables. And when I say full of vegetables, I don’t mean that one little side salad you get. I mean that it is full of 6 to 11 servings of vegetables. Especially, what I like to refer to as detoxifying vegetables, we’re talking about anything in the cruciferous family.”
Vegetables in the cruciferous family include cauliflower, broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, and Brussel sprouts.
2. Go organic
The primary reason why the cannabis plant is such an effective medicine is that it engages with the endocannabinoid system (ECS).
The endocannabinoid system is a large neurotransmitter network responsible for maintaining homeostasis in the body.
While overly simplified, homeostasis simply means optimum balance.
As Lagano says best, “homeostasis happens at a lot of different levels. So, we’re talking about sleep, we’re talking about mood, we’re talking about memory.”
Every day, we are exposed to pollutants from our environment and foods. These pollutants include compounds that promote oxidative stress and interfere with homeostasis.
So, Lagano suggests making the switch to organic food products.
“Ultimately, what we’re trying to do to heal is we’re lowering our toxic load,” says Lagano. “We all have a toxic load.”
Simply stated, the accumulation of too many pollutants in the body can have negative effects on health.
“When you change what you’re eating and you start lowering your toxic load to affect that cellular health, you will find that the cannabis that you’re using will work better and also, that you can use less.”
3. Eat enough polyunsaturated fatty acids
For some, cannabis may be beneficial because active compounds in the plant make up for a lack of naturally produced endocannabinoids.
Endocannabinoids are like the body’s own cannabis.
They are the neurotransmitter molecules that provide signals to the endocannabinoid system.
While cannabis can supplement for a lack of endocannabinoids in the body, the molecules themselves are derived from dietary sources.
That means that what you eat can alter your endocannabinoid tone (the levels of these molecules in the body).
For optimum endocannabinoid health, Lagano recommends a diet rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids.
She explains:
“Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAS) are actually very important. Endocannabinoids are derived from arachidonic acid. That is a polyunsaturated fatty acid. So, you know what that means? That means that we can produce our own endocannabinoids.”
Polyunsaturated fatty acids are most abundant in fatty fish, seeds, and nuts.
Eating these foods may help increase the amount of endocannabinoids available for the body to use, improving mood, sleep, and helping the body to return to homeostasis.
4. Probiotics
While changes in cannabis policy may be one of the biggest public health decisions in the last decade, research on probiotics may lead to some of the most important medical advancements.
Probiotics refer to foods and supplements which foster microbial life inside the intestinal tract.
Believe it or not, these microbes are important for good health. They work in tandem with immune cells to fight pathogens and help us gain nutrients from foods that we cannot digest ourselves.
“Probiotics are what we can take orally to help the good bacteria in the body work properly,” says Lagano. “Your gut is your second brain, so this is why we see the relationship between gut health and brain health.”
Gut microbes support brain health by freeing up additional nutrients and by creating neurotransmitter molecules as by-products of their digestion and metabolism.
Taking an oral probiotic helps ensure that you’re getting the most from your food. Improving your ability to access nutrients can help you achieve greater results with your medical cannabis.
– This article was originally posted at Green Flower
About CBDWire
CBDWire (CBDW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) CBDNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CBDW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CBDW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CBDW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CBDW is where news, content and information converge.
To receive instant SMS alerts, text CBDWire to 21000 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)
For more information please visit https://www.cbdwire.com
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CBDWire website applicable to all content provided by CBDW, wherever published or re-published: https://CBDWire.com/Disclaimer
Do you have a questions or are you interested in working with CBDW? Ask our Editor
CBDWire (CBDW)
Denver, Colorado
cbdwire.com
303.498.7722 Office
[email protected]
This article contains Third-Party Content submitted by third parties, including articles submitted through the CBDW Premium Partnership Program. All opinions, statements and representations expressed by such third parties are theirs alone and do not express or represent the views and opinions of CBDW or its affiliates and owners. Content created by third parties is the sole responsibility of such third parties, and CBDW does not endorse, guarantee or make representations concerning the accuracy and completeness of all third-party content. You acknowledge that by CBDW providing you with this internet portal that makes accessible to you the ability to view third-party content through the CBDW site, CBDW does not undertake any obligation to you as a reader of such content or assume any liability relating to such third-party content. CBDW expressly disclaims liability relating to such third-party content. CBDW and its members, affiliates, successors, assigns, officers, directors, and partners assume no responsibility or liability that may arise from the third-party content, including, but not limited to, responsibility or liability for claims for defamation, libel, slander, infringement, invasion of privacy and publicity rights, fraud, or misrepresentation, or an private right of action under the federal securities laws of the United States or common law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, CBDW reserves the right to remove third-party content at any time in its sole discretion.
